PonderEthereal

It's been an adjustment for us all.. Ethan and myself.. and Ryan and Emma. I think we're figuring it out pretty well. I cherish the time I get with my angel. He is so amazing. So much like me. smile.. And Ryan is awesome with him and helping me out with him. He is an amazing angel himself.. smile.

We all went to Sea World yesterday afternoon when I got home from work. That was one of Ethan's birthday presents. Very long day. Ryan snapped a really good pic of Ethan petting the dolphins. Emma didnt want to…. and I dont much blame her. When they came up and opened their mouths for the treats, it was a bit daunting to see all those teeth. They didnt look so cute and dolphinie anymore.. heh.

Then of course they got to see Shamu (or 'shampoo' as Ethan calls her) - which was the highlight. Ethan was shocked that Shamu was a girl and had babies and grandbabies :) And we got to see the sharks.. Emma's favorite is the hammerhead.. so they got to see that up close. And I got to see the Baluga whales - which are by FAR, my favorite thing there.. smile.

Yeah 'shampoo'.. isnt that funny? Ethan says god is a man and he looks like a fairy. Or the time Emma looked at the 60ish lady in the grocery store and said REALLY loudly.. 'Shes REALLY WRINKLY!' Kids are so funny.. heh.

They bicker like kids do. My sister and I did it, Ethan and T-Love' daughter did it. It's really annoying. But they get along too. One will learn something from the other or make the other laugh. It's kinda cute. :) Being a 'family' is hard to learn to do. We, as parents, have subtle sensitive lines with our own kids that we are learning to extend and meld. Emma is a little more used to me than Ethan is of Ryan. They went thru about a week of Ethan testing him.. and Im not entirely sure that he's done testing. And then of course they are both trying the 'one said no so lets ask the other' thing. It's totally a minute by minute thing.. learning to do that.

And then there is the 'testing the roles' thing that they do in a new enviromnment. Everybody wants to know where they fit in and who everyone is to them and where they fit in the pecking order.. and kids do that in this very annoying competitive, top of the lungs kindof way. 'CARRIE… Ethan's doing such and such!!!!' 'Mommy!!!! Emma's doing this other thing!!!!!'.

When both are around, there isnt much time for anything else. There are arguments and snacks and potty help and special toys to arrange (play doh, paint and stuff). Theres the occasional chores and the bedtime rutine.. two baths, two teeth brushings, two hair brushings.. keep the boys and girls seperate thru the nekkid parts, clothes for the next day, everyones respective bed time stuffed animals.. and then morning stuff.. get up.. two children dressed with shoes on.. hair brushed, teeth brushed, breakfast, backpacks, lunch for one…. It's like a carefully orchestrated…. circus. :)

They are close in age so it's nice when one doesnt have clean socks and the other does. Or explaining things.. explain it once and they both get it. One excells in things that the other doesnt. Emma can write her letters and sound things out. Ethan can carry out pretty complex instructions if need be. It's interesting to see how different their personalities are.

And of course, it is way cool to think that.. who would have thought 7 years ago that my kid and D's kid would be playing together.. heh. She might not be mine but she is his and that means a lot to me. Aside from the fact that she's a cool kid, of course. :) Totally unrelated but kinda cool.. Ryan and I are the same age for 11 days before his birthday rolls around and he gets another year older. Ethan and Emma are the same age for 21 days before her birthday rolls around and she is another year older. The timelines kinda worked out similarly :) I think Michael was that way with his friend A***** too.. they were really close in age and then she had her baby right after Ethan was born.

Anyways.

So melded families are lots of fun.. two kids are a handful and I am totally satisfied having ONE of my own and loving one of his too.